The River

As the waves crashed near our feet, I looked at the soaking wet girl that I had just saved. I had no idea who she was or how she ended up in the harsh current of that river. All I knew was I had to save her and I didn't want to let her go. I didn't understand why, but there was this connection. A connection I had never experienced before, but one I knew I could not lose.

After she had coughed up the water that had filled her lungs almost taking her life, she had looked into my eyes before falling onto my arm and drifting off into a sound sleep. I have no idea what she thought of me or if she trusted me, but I knew I had to get her out of this icy cold weather. She was shivering in her sleep and I could visibly see her small deep exhales. At least I knew for a fact she was breathing, but if I didn’t get her somewhere warm soon, she may not survive. It was too cold out here for her. I wonder if she noticed that I did not have a shirt on. That would raise many questions that I do not know if she needs to know the answers to. There are so many things in this world that humans don’t know about and we try our best to keep it that way.

I mean, what would happen to us if everyone found out that werewolves are real? They would be terrified beyond measure and come hunt us to get rid of their fear. Humans don’t need to know that what they think is vampire speed originally came from a real werewolf. There are just way too many things that humans do not need or want to know. If I save this girl, I could put myself in harm’s way, my entire pack, and I could scare her to death. She is already on the verge of that. I don’t know what would happen if she found all this out.

That invisible, unexplainable connection pushed me forward to slowly put one arm around her back and the other under her long thin legs. I slowly picked up her thin flawless frame and walked at a normal speed to my cabin a few miles away. I did not want her to wake up while in a man’s arms going 100 miles per hour. That may give her a heart attack. My mind screamed at me to set her down and let someone else help her. There was too much at risk here, but my heart and instinct said to save this girl. So I let go of reason and listened to my heart.

I could feel her slow heartbeat while she lay in my arms. 1… 2… 3…. It was still going. Slowly, but surely. I picked up my speed and got to the cabin faster than I had originally intended. Matt stood outside staring at the girl in my arms, not saying a word. He could read my confused expression on my face and once we were close enough he could feel what I felt second hand. Our pack had a deep emotional connection that gave us the option to share our feelings or thoughts with one another. It only worked if we were both willing to offer and receive what we were trying to express.

I slowed down as I got to the bottom of the 5 stairs that went around the front of our 5 bedroom home. Matt stood above me. His long black hair was placed in a tight bun upon his head, while a brown hand-beaded neckless, his mate had made him, hung loosely around his bare chest. It was his lucky charm at every full moon. He wore torn blue jeans and had nothing on his feet. He tilted his pottery coffee mug to his lips to take a drink while he nodded to me. He clasped his hand on my shoulder and whispered in my mind, “you found her” as I walked past him with the girl in my arms.

I slowly placed her on the sofa that was right in front of the brick fireplace. The fire blazed with great intensity. I placed a hand-woven blanket over her and sat down putting her head on my lap. I looked into the fire thinking about what Matt had just said. What did he mean by “you found her”?

To be continued…